


Roll the Dice

by Lycoriis



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst, Angst and Humor, Church against Witchcraft, Eventual Romance, M/M, Multi, Rpg inspired, So much tags I'm sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lycoriis/pseuds/Lycoriis
Summary: Twisted Wonderland but make it a classic medieval fantasy rpg.Deuce, a young magician in training, is travelling the world searching for someone willing to teach him magic. Accompanied by Ace, a boy his age, thirsty for adventures, their journey isn't going to be all peaceful in a world where witches and magicians are mercilessly chased by the Church of the Green Crown.
Relationships: Hinted Leech Twins/Azul, Hinted LeoRuggie, Hinted TreyRiddle, Kalim Al-Asim/Jamil Viper, Silver/Sebek Zigvolt
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Roll the Dice

**Author's Note:**

> Hi ! Back with a proper work after Hyperventilation and Tournent les violons ! This is my very first long fanfiction in English.  
> If you're a regular here, you know English isn't my first language and the difference between my French writing skills and the English ones complexes me a lot.  
> I'll do my best to bring you a fun and chaotic adventure featuring our favorite cute but dumbass boys !
> 
> Note that this work has been heavily influenced by personal headcanons about the characters and even game theories. Be careful as swear words and graphic depictions of violence will be used.
> 
> Happy reading ! ♪

«Ace, down !» Deuce yelled, fire sparkling at the tip of his fingers. Ace obeyed without a second thought right when flames came out of Deuce’s hands, burning down a few red hair before hitting the desired target. The guard screamed as the spell hit him and quickly ran out of the inn to throw himself head first in the well.

«My hair !» Ace yelled back, a strand of burned hair between his fingers.  
«Sorry ?» Deuce didn’t have much time to speak as another guard tried to get a supposedly-distracted Ace from behind. Ace took care of him before Deuce could make up another spell. Crouching down, he quickly turned around, extending one leg to hit the guard and make him lose his balance. A violent punch in the jaw followed and he wasn’t a menace anymore.

«Reddie, down !» another voice screamed  
«The name’s Ace !» mumbled Ace but he crouched down again anyway, just in time as an axe, almost bigger than him, went flying right above his head and ended its race in another guard’s chest.

«Guys, that way !» a beastman said, holding the back door of the inn open.

Ace and Deuce didn’t lose a second, running through the ongoing chaos to sneak out. A young boy grabbed the bloody axe and followed them. Deuce let him first, fire sparkling from his fingertips again, burning down a few tables to prevent anyone from following them. The rising smoke blocked the view and they could finally escape.

«Run, as far and fast as possible !» The same beastman said, sprinting through the woods as if he knew each tree.

«Jack, not that fast !» the boy with the axes yelled, already out of breath and falling behind them.

Deuce turned back to grab his hand, pulling him until the so-called Jack decided to stop.  
All four of them out of breath, Ace let himself flop down on the floor, Jack resting against a tree. The axe boy’s legs finally gave up as he joined Ace on the ground while Deuce tried to keep standing, hands on his knees.

«Ace, next time you want to do a ‘magic’ trick, make sure there’s no one from the Church around.»  
«What ?! That was just a trick, not actual magic like you do, sire flame-thrower !»  
«Ha ?! How did you call me right now ?»

Jack exchanged a desperate look with the boy still laying down.

«Guys, calm down. No one’s hurt and we’re out of their reach for now. Stop fighting for nothing.» said the boy, sitting up.

«You can talk, Crazy-Axe! You almost got my head !» yelled Ace.  
« Then crouch down quicker next time, you dumbass wanker !» 

Taken aback by the insult, or more by the gap between the boy’s delicate face and voice and his way of speech, Ace shut up for a second.

Jack sighed and crossed his arms on his chest.

«Now that we’re safe, we should do some proper introduction. I’m Jack. My dad’s a mercenary but since he’s been bed-ridden for a few weeks already, I’m doing his job. I met Epel during one of my missions to protect a caravan of merchants.»

Deuce stared at the so-called Epel, visibly confused.  
«H... How do you carry around those big-ass axes when they’re like.. Two or three times bigger than you ?»

Epel stared back at him, already annoyed by the implied remark he was too fragile.

«And how do you make fire come out of your palms ?»  
«I-»  
«Nothing to reply, huh ? Don’t ask things you don’t want an answer to. I throw axes, that’s all you have to know.»

«Yeah but admit no one would expect a little porcelain doll to fight with weapons that big or to even fight at all.» Ace smirked.  
«I do and if you keep going, you’ll live the rest of your very, very short life with an axe stuck between your eyes. I’m a barbarian, not a fragile little thing, Reddie.» Epel threatened in response.

Jack sat down near Epel, a hand resting on his shoulder.

«Easy there. We shouldn’t fight.»  
«Jack’s right. I guess it’s our turn then, right Ace ? As I was saying before we got ... interrupted, I’m Deuce and a witch. Or a magician, whatever pleases you, I’m not advanced enough to make a difference yet. I’m on my way to meet with my master and I met Ace on the road.» Deuce looked over at Ace, pouting a little that Jack got in his way to mess with Epel.

«Hiii, I’m Ace, travelling for fun and I met idiot #1 on the road and now I end up meeting idiot #2 and #3.» Ace said with a smirk, keeping an eye open to watch Epel’s reaction. Good thing he did because the barbarian was already grabbing one of his axes. Jack didn’t even try to stop him this time.

«Okay, okay, put that axe down, I’m joking !» Ace quickly got up on his feet, already taking a few steps back.

«Anyway,» Deuce started. «We can’t let you go before we cleared one thing. Prove me you’re not with the Church. You could have helped us escape just to corner us, or at least me. I’m the one with forbidden powers here.»  
«As much as I totally understand why you’re being cautious, in all honesty, Deuce, If I wanted to kill you, I had more than enough time to do it more than ten times.» Jack replied. «My own family isn’t very well-seen by the Church either. We’re werewolves, and I don’t have to tell you how they treat beastmen, right ? I’m already lucky I’m not from the Forgotten Lands.» Jack crossed his arms on his chest again, leaning against a tree.

«I hate those damn religious.» Epel spat. Taking out a rag, he started cleaning the blood off of his blade. «My village was all nice and peaceful and they had to ruin it. I never asked to become a barbarian, as they call us. My family was self-sustainable until they decided a part of our production would be theirs so they can feed their army. Which means less products to sell and less money. Dad refused to rise his prices to let everyone afford basic feeding and I had to find another way to help getting the missing money.»

Deuce nodded as he listened to their stories. He could tell they weren’t liars. Jack seemed like an honest guy just trying to replace his sick father. If Epel could be a little more suspicious, he was hiding a titanic strength under such a fragile appearance after all, he was also just trying to live under the Church’s supremacy.  
Ace wasn’t listening one bit though, red orbs staring at a butterfly.

«And you, Ace ?» Jack asked. His voice sounded colder, almost cautious. «Deuce is looking for his master, Epel and I are helping our family to survive. But you said you were travelling for fun. What tells us you’re innocent ? Who said you aren’t siding with the Church ?»

Ace let go of the butterfly he was so passionately observing to focus his red burning gaze on the werewolf.

«Listen, mate. If I was a religious under disguise, I would have called the Fifth Superiors to get Deuce arrested since ages. I’m not a Bohemian either, I’m travelling because I want to, that’s it. I met Deuce, discovered he was a witch, and sided with him because I thought this was going to be way more interesting that what I first planned We had tons of occasion to part ways.» Ace explained, tone as cold as ice. Never once did he stutter or broke eye contact with Jack. Epel was still polishing his axe, gaze also set on Ace.

«I trust him, it’s fine.» Deuce said, trying to ease the tension.  
«It isn’t.» Jack replied. «If he’s lying and gets the Church to arrest us, both Epel and I will be convicted because we protected a witch.»  
«You better be telling the truth or it’s off with your head, Reddie.» Epel added.

Ace sighed loudly, raising both hands in sign of peace.

«Fiiiine ~ I’m not lying, I swear it. Also don’t speak like that, I thought our king was here for a sec.»  
«Wait, 'your king' ? You’re from the Red Tyrant’s kingdom ?» Epel lowered his axe.  
«And what if we are ?» Ace asked.  
«Say that first next time ! That’s the only kingdom still not under the Church’s control and they often send knights to fight against them ! Being part of the Church in that kingdom equals high treason and you’re sentenced to death as soon as the king or his right-hand knight learns about it !» Epel got up on his feet, almost not believing he had to explain to Ace how is own country was working.  
«Oh yeah, right. Forgot about that.»  
«Must be nice to live with such freedom you forget about the world’s greatest menace.» Jack mumbled.

As the silence fell between the four boys, Deuce bursted out laughing.

«Okay, nice, magic made him mad. Epel, your axe, please.» Ace asked, handing out his hand.  
«Nah, I’ll do it. Sorry mate, was fun to fight with you.»

Deuce was still laughing, so much he finally fell on his back, staring at sky getting darker and darker.

«Ahahaha... ha... Sorry.. I guess the tension is finally leaving. You know, we lived quite a few adventures before meeting you two and always being on your guard is tiring. Now that more people have our backs, I feel so relieved. That’s the first time in months we can stop running from the Church, at least for a night.» Deuce wiped off a few tears from the corner of his eyes.

«Feel you. I’d give everything to go back home, even for a day only. I miss my family. Mother must be dead tired, taking care of a sick husband and children. My younger siblings are smart, they’re probably acting like angels right now but they’re still kids full of energy.» Jack replied. «Speaking of night, we should move and find a safer place to rest. Epel, do we still have firewood ?»  
«Enough for one or two more campfires.» The barbarian said, checking his bag.  
«We should still have enough food to feed us all. We did have a good meal at the inn before ... Ace messed everything up.»  
«HEY ! You burnt my hair and Dollie almost beheaded me ! I think I got enough payback ! And I even saved us some money !» Ace retorted.  
«Who are you calling Dollie ?!» Epel grabbed both of his axes, Jack stopping him right in time.  
«Okay, enough fighting and teasing for today, kids. Let’s set up the camp. And Deuce, you have to tell us what happened before we met.»  
«Yessir !»

Grabbing their bags, the small group walked through the woods as the night was falling down, any light disappearing soon enough. In the dark, Jack leaded them to a small clearing.

«Okay, we should be good here. Deuce, can you make the fire ?»  
«No prob.»  
«He’s going to burn the forest down just like he almost did with the inn...»  
«Say that again and I’ll burn you down, Ace.»  
«Ooh, someone lost their sense of humor in the fight ~» Ace teased.  
«Enough, you two.» Jack growled.

Ace hummed and went away, setting up the camp with Epel. At least, they did what they could, the only light coming from the moon, until Jack was done putting together wood and stones for Deuce. A spark came out of his finger and as he touched the wood, the fire lighted up the clearing, bringing warmth with it.

Once the camp was set, Ace divided their last rations of food and water in equal parts. Sitting in a circle, Jack munched on his bread.

«So, what about your funny stories ?» Epel asked.  
«It all started a few weeks, almost two months ago. Ace, correct me if I forget something.»  
«Gotcha.»

\---------------------------

Two months ago.

«Be safe, love. The world outside is dangerous, the Church will be after you as soon as someone suspects you to be magic. Once you’re out of the frontiers, travel all alone to your master or find a trust-worthy companion.»  
«I know, Mom. I will. Don’t worry, when I’m back, I’ll be a great magician so you can be proud of me !» Deuce assured.  
«I’m already proud of you, Deuce. Now go, explore the world !» His mother kissed his forehead and watched him take his first steps, en route to discover the unknown.

Deuce was a gifted and smart boy. Magic was a common thing, but since the Church took over the world, it became a curse. Parents discovering the powers of their newborn would abandon them and pray nature would either take them or they would get adopted but never learn about their own powers. The Spade family had the chance to be part of the Roseraie. The only kingdom on the continent that didn’t surrender and was a refuge to any Bohemians and witches or magicians. When Deuce was born, his presence blessed his family and it did twice. As a small, curious five years old, he showed the first signs of magic in his veins, as he made his favorite plushie follow him all around the house. As Deuce grew up into a troublesome but eager to learn teen, his parents requested many audiences with the at the time queen of the Roseraie to find him a master but also get him the needed approval to let their son go head first into the wild. ‘Knowledge is source of all power’ ancients said ‘and it matters even more to witches and magicians’.

The Spade family almost lost all hope for Deuce to become a great magician that would help ending the Church’s domination when he got into so much troubles that the current king, as the queen passed away a months after the Spade’s last audience, almost disapproved of Deuce getting past the frontiers.  
If it wasn’t for the kind-hearted right-hand knight of the king, maybe this journey would have never started.

Upon learning all the trouble his family went through to get him the chance to learn about his powers, Deuce promised to act wiser and for the greater good.  
With the goal to become a great magician, Deuce took his first steps into an unknown, wild, dangerous world. Anyone could be an enemy. Even that redhead dozing in front of him. Nothing could have woken him up, even the end of the world.  
At that point, Deuce had been travelling for only a week and a half. Oh, he wished he found a worthy companion, a good friend. Loneliness was heavy on his shoulders and even the relief he was going to meet with his master, with who he was exchanging letters almost daily with him didn’t ease his pain.

The young magician sighed. Staring at the boy in front of him in the carriage, he was trying to master the courage to approach him once he eventually woke up. He looked his age and maybe was he also a magician-in-training !  
But his hopes got down as soon as the carriage suddenly stopped. Hearing voices outside, Deuce leaned against the window, trying to see what was going on. But as soon as his gaze fell upon the coat of arms decorating the horses’s saddle, Deuce hid himself. The Church of the Emerald Crown.  
He didn’t had the time to think that a guard opened the door, yelling at the four passengers to get off immediately. Deuce felt like his legs turned into stone. Fear paralysed his body, as the two other passengers ; an old man and a lady with a newborn in her arms obeyed. They looked serene, not even surprised the Church was acting like this.  
That’s when another memory came back up in his mind. The Church was looking for any Bohemian or anyone with magic powers. Those events weren’t rare and it was a formality if you were neither of those things.  
Deuce was slowly growing pale, his hands trembling. He eyed the other teen with them, still asleep.  
The guard suddenly hit the door.

«Get out, I said ! You’re being lucky one of the Fifth Superiors is there, don’t waste his time !»

Deuce nodded and get down the carriage at the speed of light, biting his lip. What about the redhead ? If his cheeks weren’t naturally flushed, you could think he died in his sleep. But Deuce didn’t have any more time to accord to that guy. As much as he wanted to help and wake him up, he made eye contact with the so-called Fifth Superior. Looking for a quick exit, a place to hide, he didn’t expect the guard to be telling the truth.  
The Fifth Superiors were the five strongest men of the Church’s army. One of them was even rumored to be the actual leader. It was a given mean to frighten anyone not obeying to mere soldiers. But there he was, in front of him. Deuce merely knew them, but everything about this man was telling of his high position. An unique outfit, a proud attitude, confident in his power ...  
A dog barked at his feet. If he were to let go of the red leash, that well-trained dog could probably bite him to death with only one word from the Superior.

«There, there. Everything’s alright.» He said, getting off his black horse. A gloved hand put back strands of white hair back in place as his blanc and white fur coat fell graciously behind him.

Deuce couldn’t get his eyes off him. His impressive and heavy aura paralysed him in place. And if time felt like stopping for Deuce, it wasn’t for the guard who hit the carriage a second time, yelling at the passenger still on-board.

«Hey, wake up !! Lord Crewel doesn’t have all day just for you ! Wake up !»  
«Shut up...» yawned the teenager. 

The redhead slowly got up, getting off the carriage with another yawn, until the soldier, visibly annoyed, triped him up.  
Falling face first on the ground, Deuce and the other passengers couldn’t but laugh a little. At least, it gave back some confidence to Deuce. It was his very examination by the Church. He didn’t know how they could differ magicians from non-magic beings. Questions ? A device ? The dogs, even ? Magicians were probably giving off another scent, and if they weren’t, the scent of fear would probably gave them away. After all, if you were a non-magic, you wouldn’t feel pressured by a Church’s examination, you’d have nothing to hide.

The dog at Crewel’s feet barked again.

«Easy there. You’re never this noisy, something’s wrong ? Maybe one of them is cursed ? Who is it ?»

Deuce almost fainted. His fear was intense enough for the dalmatian to feel it, automatically making the teen look suspicious.  
He was going to be found out. All the efforts his family went through to send him to his master were going to be vain. Not even two weeks in his journey and it would end already. Lord Crewel quickly took the few steps separating him from Deuce, leaded by the dog.

«Young man, is there anything troubling you ?» Crewel asked.  
He was so nice and polite Deuce had a hard-time believing he was really a bad guy. The Fifth Superiors were known to be merciless fighters and having killed way more than any average soldier could.  
«N-no-»  
«Fuck off !» A voice yelled.

Back up on his feet, the redhead, nose bleeding, didn’t like the soldier’s prank. And before anyone could react, he had thrown two knives in the man’s chest. Crewel acted soon after, not letting the surprise affect him much longer. He let go of the leash, his voice already ordering the dalmatian around. The dog became a blood-thirsty beast in seconds as it jumped on the teen.

Deuce’s body reacted before he could do anything logical and fire sparkled from his fingertips, small flames throwing themselves onto the beast in an attempt to gain time more than to hurt anyone or anything. The lady screamed in fear, soon running away from the fight, followed by the old man.

«Fuck, fuck, fuck !!» Deuce yelled, realising his own actions.  
«Come, run !» The redhead grabbed his wrist and pulled him away as fast as he could. 

«Get them !» Crewel ordered, using his coat to take the fire away from his dog’s fur, soothing the poor thing. Guards didn’t lose a second and ran after the teens as they sank more and more in the woods.

During their race, Deuce slowly caught up on what was happening. He blew up his cover in an attempt to help a guy he didn’t even know escape jail for attacking a member of the Church.

«Why did you do that ?!» Deuce yelled between two breathes.  
«Did what ?!»  
«Throwing knives to that guy !»  
«He woke me up in the middle of a dream !»  
«For real ?!» Deuce couldn’t believe it.  
«Yeah ! That was a damn nice dream ! I finally got that pretty girl from the town to look at me and I was about to kiss h-  
«Cauldron !!» Deuce summoned.

A heavy, empty cauldron appeared out of nowhere above their heads, falling down at the speed of light.

«Wooaaaaah!-  
 _BOOM!_

«Heard that ?!»  
«It’s them ! They’re near !»  
«Find them, one is a magician ! We could get a raise if we catch him!»

The man moaned in pain as the cauldron was forcing him down against the dirt.

«What the hell ?! What was that for ?!»  
«I blew up my cover for your ass !»  
«No one asked you !» the stranger grumbled. «Get me out of here, they’re going to catch us !»

Deuce made the cauldron disappear as the redhead tried to get back to his feet. He was going to deal with back pain for a few days. Deuce grabbed his wrist and started running again. As they reached the end of the forest and a river, he suddenly turned right and got back into the woods, pulling the both of them down on the ground, hidden by bushes.

«Where are they ?!»  
«Fuck, we lost them.»  
«They might have crossed the river.»  
«No, we would see puddles on the other side. They’re still somewhere near. You two, walk down the river, they might have thrown themselves in not knowing about the cliff ! We’ll keep looking for them until Lord Crewel gets here. His dogs have the best sense of smell.»

«We’re doomed.» sighed the redhead.  
«Shut up... We’re going to crawl out of the forest. Cover yourself with mud, it will hide your scent and confuse the dog long enough to get away. We need the get past this village, and probably the other one. The Church won’t stop looking for a magician and a guy who probably killed one of them because he was woken up in the middle of a dream.»  
«Hey. That was a very pleasant dream.»  
«Whatever. That way.»

Following Deuce’s advices and his map, the made-up duo started crawling out of the woods, as fast as they could.

Outside the woods, Crewel quickly got impatient and fed up. The hurt dalmatian in his arms, the guards wished they lost their way in the forest when they saw how angry he was.

«This damn little witch. I’ll chase him until the end of the world for that.  
«Sire.. It was only a light burn, an average unit can catch him. Seems like he’s a begi-  
«SHUT UP. This wouldn’t have happened if your mate knew how to avoid a basic throwing knives attack ! Didn’t you see his belt ?! It was giving away his skills ! You useless dogs !»

The guards let their head down. That was the catch of being led by one of the Fifth. Monsters who didn’t let any little mistake slip away.

«Speaking of Dave.. How is he ?» One guard took a few steps forward, daring. Crewel didn’t say a thing, once again focused on the dalmatian in his arms. The guard took a look inside the carriage. «The boy hit him in the chest right ? Do you think it might ki- GYAAAAH !!! What the hell ?! What the hell happened ?!»

Where should have been a hurt man .. were only rest of a body in a bloodbath, red liquid dripping off the abandonned carriage.

«He had to pay for letting a witch escape and committing such a dumb mistake, don’t you think ?» The merciless and cold tone of Crewel froze the guard’s blood in his veins. «And I couldn’t let Dottie suffer and have nothing decent to eat while healing from a magic burn.»

Horrified, the soldier took a few steps back, falling against his mates.

«Now, if you don’t want to share his fate, you better find me this damn witch. Right now.» threatened Crewel.

The soldiers nodded and ran back into the woods.

«And after that, we crawled through the woods for what seemed like an eternity !»  
«Three kilometers.»  
«An eternity.» insisted Ace. «When we were away enough and night was falling down, we stopped in an inn on the side of the road and paid twice the price of our room and dinner so the owner would pretend he never saw us.» Ace said, finishing their story.  
«And that’s how we met ! Since then, we’re travel buddies. So you have nothing to worry about, Ace would get killed by the Church the second they recognise him.» Deuce assured.

But Jack and Epel looked more terrified than relieved.

«You made an enemy out of one of the Fifth Superiors ?!» Jack said  
«And now you got us to be your partner-in-crimes ?!» Epel added.

«Uhm... Sorry ?» Deuce tried.  
«Welcome to our party, guys !» Ace added happily.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making it this far !  
> I hope you enjoyed that first chapter. More than ever, comments will help a lot improving the next chapters and kudos will really motivate me to get them down and posted asap.  
> Shares are also super appreciated ! Thank you ! ♥


End file.
